Not long ago, few people would have heard of Anne Lister, let alone Shibden Hall where she lived. But the BBC drama Gentleman Jack – which charted Anne’s colourful life – changed all that. Anne was a shrewd 18th-century businesswoman and landowner who left meticulously kept diaries.
In a bid to conceal her lesbian affairs, some passages were coded. Later cracked, they were used as a basis for Gentleman Jack. After the show – starring Suranne Jones – was televised, visitor numbers to the stately home trebled, creating a mini tourist boom in Halifax, West Yorkshire , where’s it’s located.
Used as a set for some of the series, Shibden Hall is now Grade II-listed and a must-see for visitors to Halifax . Dating back to 1420, it’s beautifully preserved and contains much original furniture including an early flushing toilet installed in 1937 for a visit by King George VI. Movies Wuthering Heights and Peterloo, plus BBC1 drama To Walk Invisible were also filmed there.
In fact filming in Halifax has become so common that locals call it Britain’s answer to Hollywood – or Haliwood. Samuel L Jackson recorded part of the Marvel TV series Secret Invasion at The Piece Hall in the town. The recent Full Monty series, starring the original cast including Robert Carlyle, was filmed in the area.
Cameras rolled there for Channel 4 drama Ackley Bridge plus old favourites Last of the Summer Wine, Brassed Off, Red Riding and Last Tango in Halifax. And Sarah Lancashire and James Norton used nearby Hebden Bridge for Happy Valley. My partner Tim and I didn’t see any stars while we were there – but we had a ball.
We stayed at Shibden Mill Inn, on the outskirts. It was a pleasant 40-minute walk from Shibden Hall, mostly along pretty paths through fields of cows and past stone farmhouses, providing a perfect taste of the picturesque Calder Valley. The 17th century Shibden Mill Inn was originally a corn and spinning mill.
But after the wool industry declined it lay dormant, reopening as a pub in 1890. Nowadays it has stylish bedrooms and the feel of a country retreat, with open fires, beamed ceilings and wood panelling. But it’s the food that takes centre stage now – the restaurant holds 2 AA rosettes, features in the UK’s Top 50 Gastropubs and has the sort of menu that makes you hungry just thinking about it.
At our evening meal we tickled our tastebuds with muffin-like cheddar and ale loaves accompanied by homemade nduja butter. Our starters were exquisite – smoked haddock, mussel, leek and smoked haddock foam plus raw scallop, jalapeno, granny smith, dill and elderflower. Tim’s main course of turbot in a creamy sauce came with a bowl of shellfish fondue, while my partridge and haggis pie of the day was smothered in thick gravy and served with chips and hispi cabbage.
Full to the brim, we skipped desserts – and even had to forgo the home-baked cookies that were left in the bedrooms each night. In Halifax the centrepiece is The Piece Hall, the world’s only remaining Georgian cloth trading hall. Fancy earning money when you book a holiday? Thanks to Quidco, you can.
After signing up for free, Quidco gives you a chunk of money back every time you spend. If your first purchase is within 30 days of signing up and is £5 or more, you'll receive cashback on that purchase and a £15 bonus. Opened in 1779, the Georgian buildings set around a vast courtyard were a sign of the wealth and power of Yorkshire’s cloth manufacturers, who gathered in the hall’s 315 rooms every week to sell their wares.
But by 1868 the traders had left, the once flourishing cottage industries driven out by economic slump and the ease of selling from the gates of newly built factories. Thanks to a multi-million-pound renovation, the hall’s grandeur can once again be enjoyed by the masses. Now with a Grade I-listing, its old sales rooms have turned into bars, restaurants and small businesses selling all sorts from soap to vinyl records.
(Heritage tours - £6 adults, under-16s free. thepiecehall.co.
uk ) We enjoyed a meal at The Astronomer, named in celebration of Sir William Herschel who discovered Uranus but doubled as organist at what is now Halifax Minster. ( thepiecehall.co.
uk/eat-and-drink/the-astronomer/ ) The fun menu has an Asian twist, with dishes created for sharing. We went for tandoori king prawns with a lime and coriander yogurt on a garlic flatbread, Indian fish pakora, seabass with parmesan and truffle potato, and seared scallops with smoked butternut squash puree. It was delightful and the warm service made it a meal to remember.
Halifax’s industrial heritage ripples through the town in other ways. The 22-acre mill complex Dean Clough was once one of the world’s largest carpet factories. Founded in 1803 it employed more than 5,000 workers.
Now it’s Grade II-listed and houses galleries, a theatre, workshops, businesses, bars and restaurants. ( deanclough.com ) On our visit we swung by True North restaurant.
They do a great value two or three-course menu but we opted to go for the Sunday roast. Our tender garlic and rosemary lamb rump came with plenty of veg and spuds, plus the biggest Yorkshire puddings we’d ever seen. It was possibly the best roast dinner we’ve had.
( truenorthrestaurant.co.uk ) If you like fab food, captivating countryside and handsome history you’ll be in heaven in Halifax.
Now that’s star quality. Sign up for FREE to Mirror Travel and discover dream escapes, latest travel advice and more JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP: Discover your next dream getaway in the UK or abroad by joining our free Mirror Travel WhatsApp community HERE . GET THE NEWSLETTER: Or sign up to the Mirror Travel newsletter for a weekly dose of the best holiday deals, travel warnings, expert advice and hidden gems, straight to your inbox.
Book the holiday Double rooms at Shibden Mill Inn start from £100 B&B and from £170 DBB which includes a £40pp allowance towards the meal. shibdenmillinn.com More info at visitcalderdale.
com.
